Now that I'm farther into the book, I see that things are really progressing. I feel as though Nathaniel is also. Even though he is slowly progressing, it's better than no progression at all. In chapter 10, Nathaniel is confronted by Alexis Riviera, he is captivated and decides to introduce himself. Riviera asks him to play at Little Pedro's Blue Bongo, at first he declines, but he finally goes there and preforms. He shows up late and isn't playing perfectly on stage, but it has been a long time since he has done this. The cause is most likely the combination of his nervousness and his state of mind.
Lopez and Nathaniel are quite close now. I definitely think that through these past few chapters they've gotten closer and have a much stronger bond. Lopez has taken him under his wing. He is slowly pushing him towards Lamp, to stay there and get off the streets. He has made his own personal office into a storage space for Nathaniel, just for his safety. Also, he brought him to watch a rehearsal of The Philharmonic. All of these things scream out how important Nathaniel is to Lopez.
While Lopez is becoming closer and more comfortable with Nathaniel, there are important people he is leaving behind. His wife and his daughter. Although I think its great that Lopez has found such interest in Nathaniel, he cant just push his family to the side. Lopez is totally preoccupied with Nathaniel at this point. He even says that he never gets to see Caroline, his daughter, anymore. He says she's sleeping by the time he gets home, that's if he ever actually goes home. He has slept outside on Skid Row with Nathaniel. Lopez couldn't stand it out there so he checked into a hotel for two hours. By putting himself in Nathaniel's shoes, I think Lopez probably feels even worse now.
In the next few chapters, I hope Lopez will manage his time right. He definitely shouldn't be leaving out his family. He could always incorporate them in his ordeals. For example, if Nathaniel was preforming one night or if they were going to watch someone else preform, Lopez could easily invite his wife and child. Lopez is totally overwhelmed with Nathaniel and how to get him better.
When reading this, points to focus on are the actual ideas that I've stated. Maybe you could tell me If you agree with them or if theirs something else on your mind while reading this blog.
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Alana you get way too much into Lopez's personal life, and that is not the main focus of the story at all. Other than that your writing was okay
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Nicole, I think that Lopez's personal life is intimately connect with Ayer's. This is true not only because his dedication as a journalist drives him to want to cover this story as fully as possible, but also because he makes a number of very definite choices about the kind of relationship he will pursue with Ayers, choices that make his work all the more personal (like choosing to sleep on Skid Row with him). I think that you point to a very important aspect of Lopez's involvement with Ayers when you highlight the way in which his work has affected others in his life. While almost any job or profession will certainly ask you to make decisions about how much time you can or are willing to spend on the job versus in your private life, the professional responsibilities of a journalist are particularly demanding. This certainly came through to me as a reader, as well.
ReplyDeleteI also disagree with Nicole's comment. It's my personal opinion that The Soloist is a combination of a biography and an autobiography. It's good that you picked that up.
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